Process of reproducing oil-paintings



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY I. G. STEEDMAN, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO VERPLEX ART COM- PANY, INC., A CORPORATIGN OF NEW YORK.

PROCESS OF REPRODUCING OIL-PAINTINGS.

No Drawing.

T0 (ZZZ whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, HENRY PERCY Gon- MANSTON STEEDMAN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at London, in the county of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Reproducing Oil-Paintings; and I do hereby declare the following to be full, clear, and exact description of the in vention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims, and is an improvement upon the process disclosed in my former Letters Patent of Great Britain No, 15.108 of 1911.

In the preparation of reproductions of oil paintings by the process disclosed in my former British patent, as ordinarily practiced, colored lithographs or other colored prints on paper. of the painting. to be re produced, are prepared, and mounted on canvas. An embossing die is formed in any on of several methods, which reproduces the brush marks, the varying paint levels, the canvas grain, and all other variationsof surface of the original oil painting. This die be an intaglio die, or a relief die, or I may employ both an intaglio and a relief die. The mounted prints, preferably after hiring been varnished, are subjected to great pressure in connection with the die, or dies, so as to impart to the mounted prints the variations of surface levels corresponding precisely to the brush marks, variations of painted surface, and canvas grain of the original painting, and such colored and embossed prints present a remarkably accurate reproduction of an oil painting, and have the same appearance as if they had been directly painted upon canvas. Such printsave been produced commercially and find a ready sale.

In the manufacture of such reproductions of oil paintings, one of the principal items of expense is the canvas or similar fabric upon which'the paper prints are mounted. The cost of such fabric is very considerable, and without the canvas backing, or its verisimilitude, the effect of the reproduction as being a reproduction of an oil painting, would be entirely absent. The object of my present invention is to produce a reproduc- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 3, 1921.

Application filed July 2, 1920. Serial No. 393,714.

tion of an oil painting such as above doscribcd, and at the same time to reduce the cost of the same, by eliminating the canvas backing, without materially affecting the appearance or quality of the reproductions. To this end, I provide the back of the print with a reproduction in color or colors simulating the warp and weft of artists canvas, or other similar textile fabric which is preferably printed directly upon the back of the print or upon a suitable backing of paper or other inexpensive material upon which the print is mounted adhesively. The prints so prepared are then subjected to the action of the embossing die provided with variations of surface corresponding not only to the brush marks and varying paint levels of the surface of the original oil painting to be reproduced, but having also a reproduction of the canvas grain of the original oil painting, and the prints are embossed with said die, thereby imparting to the face of the print, the reproductions of the canvas grain, brush marks, and varying paint levels of the original painting, and simultaneously imparting to the back of the print, varias tions of surface including the variations corresponding with the canvas grain, thereb imparting to the previouslv printed bacli portion of the print, the roughened or varying surface of canvas which, in connection with the printed representation of the Warp and weft of the fabric thereon, will produce a very satisfactory representation of canvas, and enhance the value and desirability of the completed prints, without necessitating the actualuse of the more expensive fabric,

thus greatly cheapening the cost of the prints, without detracting from their artistic and salable qualities.

In carrying out my invention in its preferred form, the lithographic prints in color are printed and mounted upon a paper backin g, the rear face of which is printed, painted, stamped, colored, or otherwise treated, to give it the appearance of artists canvas, and preferably the appearance of artists canvas darkened or discolored by age. An embossing die is prepared, for example in the manner set forth in my former Letters Patent of Great Britain above referred to, having its surface provided with variations corresponding to the brush marks, varying paint levels, and convas grain of the original oil paintin Each of the mounted prints above referred to is then heavily embossedby subjecting it to the action of such die under heavy pressure, thereby imparting to the face of the print the variations in surface corresponding to the brush marks, varying print levels, and canvas grain of the original oil painting, which impressions, including the canvas grain impressions, are imparted also to the paper backing before referred to, thereby increasing the similarity of appearance to the original canvas backing of the original print.

In some instances I may print the simulation of the canvas warp and weft threads in color or colors directly upon the print itself where the original print is printed upon paper having sufficient body toimpart to the finished article the necessary stiffness and character to correspond with that of a painted canvas, in which case the grain of the canvas will be imparted to the back of the print at the same time that it is imparted to the face of the print, as will be readily understood.

In some cases I may impart to the backing sheet not only the printed representation of the canvas warp and weft threads in color or colors, but also the canvas grain impressions, either at the time of printing the warp and weft indications, or by separate operation before the mounting of the prints thereon, but I prefer to impart the canvas grain impressions to the backing sheet by means of the embossing die as before described after the prints are mounted, as a better effect is obtained, both the prints and the backing being preferably embossed while the'moisture imparted by the adhesive material connecting them is present in the prints, and

their backing sheets, so that the canvas grain impressions are fully retained by the back-v ing material or sheet when the prints are finished and dried.

It will be understood that in embossing the prints, I may employ an intaglio die for treating the face only of the print, or a relief die for treating the print from the back, or'the print may be embossed between two corresponding dies, the one having an intaglio surface, and the other a relief surface, as desired.

7 What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is ously embossing the reproduction of the canvas at the back of the print, to impart to it variations of surface corresponding with the canvas grain.

2. The herein described process for the reproduction of oil paintings, which consists in preparing a colored print in reproduction of an oil painting, embossing said print to reproduce the brush marks, varying paint levels, and canvas grain of the original painting, and providing said print with a paper backing adhesively connected therewith printed to represent the warp and weft of artists canvas, and embossed to impart thereto inequalities of surface corresponding with the canvas grain.

8. The herein described process for the reproduction of oil paintings, which consists in preparing a print in reproduction of an oil painting, adhesively aplying said print to a paper backing on the outer face of which is printed representations of the Warp and weft of canvas, embossing said mounted print to impart thereto an impression corresponding with the'brush marks, varying paint levels, and canvas grain of the origiing with th canvas grain. V

' In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HENRY P. e. STEEDMAN 

